The arrival of US Congressmen here to showcase their narrative has no more takers in Pakistan, a truth the American lawmakers must have learnt firsthand during the visit. Of course, given his status, President Zardari's position was guarded, not as frank as comes out from the Pakistan Foreign Office or what the public would like to convey. Even then the President made it abundantly clear that 'all actions which created mistrust needed to be reviewed' to stake stock of the situation.
The presidential remark was made when the issue of drone attacks came under discussion, particularly the most devastating attack on a civilian tribal jirga that was open to general public as evident from the count of casualties that the drone attack caused. A number of them were important tribal leaders and children.
Nothing else could so conclusively prove the hollowness of the US government's insistence that the drone attacks have literally uprooted the terrorists' leadership. Undoubtedly, the Pakistan government kept supporting this perception though the tribes across the board disagreed; their disagreement culminating in a call for jihad. The public at large in Pakistan rejects the government decision leading to hasty release of Raymond Davis, probably only for what is called reasons of state. Now that some extra information must have come to the knowledge of the agencies from their closer examination of Raymond Davis's cell phones the excuse for drone attacks is no more tenable.
Rightly then, President Zardari refreshed the visiting American lawmakers' memory by telling them that "Our people have been paying the heaviest price in the war against militants both in terms of human as well as material losses" - a reality that is hardly reflected in the western media coverage of war in this region and their governments' stated policies. Consider what the UN-mandated, arguably disputed, the anti-terrorism military costs them -something like two hundred dollars per soldier per day stationed anywhere in Afghanistan - and the manpower losses with what it is costing Pakistan one would tend to confirm the futility of this one-sided, unrewarded co-operation in this partnership.
Nobody in the West seems to have realised the intensity of this feeling in the Pakistani people, all the more intensified by the most unexpected and unacceptable drone attack on the day after Raymond had gone. Consider the 'hubris or lack of wisdom' on the part of American leadership that UN Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton refuses to meet Pakistan's foreign minister for no plausible reason except raising pressure for instant release of a confessed killer of two Pakistanis in the heart of Lahore under the high noon sun.
As the ground reality of the developing war scenario in Afghanistan increasingly unfolds there can be no other conclusion except that the UN-mandated foreign presence has lost its validity and requires an urgent review. The end of this decade-long conflict is nearing, leaving behind a legacy of failed intervention at an unbearable price. No doubt, losses suffered by Pakistan far exceed the loss incurred by its Western partners and this reality has to be grasped on both sides.
In Pakistan such review has already begun. Pakistan army's public image has suffered as a result of this venture, a loss that is immense given the ever-lurking presence of powers irreconcilable to our independent existence. Given peaceful conditions the tribal people can prove they have the potential to stand on their own two feet; as is amply projected from their share in the transport business in rest of the country. Then and only then, effective inroads for efforts to inject reforms of all kind including economic, can be made in tribal areas. And how soon, there is no other answer except now.